In grace and elegance, it was second best to VVS Laxman's masterpiece of the previous evening; in import and timing, as much as quality and quantum, it was no less an equal. Resultantly, India enjoyed the better of the exchanges on day three of the second Test, opening up a 69-run lead and forcing Australia to play catch up for the first time in recent memory.

A well-attended Sydney Cricket Ground was kept in thrall for a second successive day by an Indian who has enjoyed outstanding success here. Friday's brilliant construction was Tendulkar's third three-figure knock in four Tests here, powering India to 532, well past Australia's 463. Australia closed on 13 without loss in their second essay.

India's batting on the middle day ranged from the stupendous for the first 90 minutes to the ordinary for the next hour. The coup de grace was delivered by the second century stand in this match for the eighth wicket, Harbhajan Singh a wonderfully willing ally as Tendulkar (154 n.o., 404m, 243b, 14x4, 1x6) drove Australia ragged through common sense application more than brazen aggression.

No more than for a half-hour did the marauding, attack-minded Tendulkar make an appearance. For the most part, he was content to provide the substance as style came at the other end, first when Sourav Ganguly threatened to destroy Australia, then when Harbhajan finally gave expression to the lovely hands and natural timing he is blessed with.

Memorable day

For all that, it was a day made memorable by Tendulkar's commanding presence. In a knock spanning almost seven hours, he seldom put a foot wrong. False strokes were as rare as hen's teeth. Indeed, the only slice of luck came when he was on 36, and seemingly plumb in front to Michael Clarke's part-time left-arm spin. Umpire Benson didn't feel strong enough -- or indeed strongly enough! -- to deny 30,000 fans serious entertainment.

Having allowed Ganguly to call the shots early on, Tendulkar upped the tempo all too briefly as India lost four wickets -- three of them to an inspired five-wicket man Brett Lee with the second new ball -- fairly cheaply. Once Harbhajan arrived and imposed himself, Tendulkar was happy to sit back, still scoring rapidly enough without making a concerted effort to seek the boundary blows.

The faith he showed in Harbhajan, and later Rudra Pratap Singh and Ishant Sharma, wasn't ill founded. Only 69 when Harbhajan arrived, Tendulkar brought up his last 85 runs in the company of nine, ten and Jack. The eternal cynics might accuse him of not shielding the tail enough; Tendulkar need not have to point to the stats to prove that he did the right thing by reposing faith in the last three.

As India resumed at 216 for three, the first session crucial, Ganguly began like a purring race car. A stunningly elegant mirror image of the right-handed Laxman, the Kolkatan immediately forced Ricky Ponting to look for means of containment, dashing away from his partner as handsome off-driving competed with nimble use of the feet against Brad Hogg in both style and effect.

Lifeline

Bereft of ideas, Australia were thrown a lifeline when Ganguly threw it all away, undone by a continued desire to stamp his authority on Hogg. A checked drive after his shimmy didn't take him to the pitch of the ball ended a stand of 108 (116m, 146b). Australia sensed an opening, and attacked the lower middle-order with the new ball.

Lee was outstanding in searing heat, running in hard and setting up Yuvraj Singh with a succession of short deliveries before a screaming full ball trapped him in front. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Anil Kumble fell playing loose strokes outside off, and India had totally frittered the advantage away.

Enter Harbhajan, stage right. After relieving the pressure with some aerial blows, he settled down following a ticking off from his partner. Cautious in defence and superbly selective in the choice of ball to hit, he was the equal partner in the 129-run (137m, 179b) association on his way to a third Test fifty, helping Tendulkar tide over the nervous 90s with a joke, a laugh and a pat or three.

Relief and ecstasy were on view in equal measure in Tendulkar's frenetic throwing out of his arms heavenwards after punching the unimpressive Mitchell Johnson through covers for a brace. The run of 90s had ended; Tendulkar can still score a century, and how!